Life Esidimeni: Portraits of Lives Lost book cover. Picture: Supplied
The significance of the 114 lives lost and the many families left with scars from the Life Esidemeni tragedy will not be relegated to the side as another calamity with eyebrow-raising numbers.
Writer Harriet Perlman and photographer Mark Lewis have documented the families’ loss and sorrow in a book to be released in mid-August.
The portraits and stories in Life Esidimeni: Portraits of Lives Lost are a testament to the human cost of this disaster.
The book explores this heart-breaking event by offering a powerful narrative built on the stories of those most affected. But it is not merely a chronicle of loss: it is also a celebration of resilience and courage.
This Wednesday, publisher Jacana Media will host a virtual conversation on the book and explore the ongoing struggle for better mental healthcare in South Africa.
The conversation will be led by activist Koketso Moeti who will be in conversation with Perlman and mental health activist and member of the Life Esidimeni Family Committee, Christine Nxumalo.
“We need everyone in this country to see and hear this story. We must put it out there so people understand what happened, how it happened and why,” said Nxumalo.
“Or will we just forget and learn nothing? I lost my sister in the tragedy and some mornings I still can’t get up. It’s the manner in which she died that makes it so hard to bear. We all just want answers. We must continue to speak out.”
Human rights lawyer and the Executive Director of SECTION27 Sasha Stevenson will be part of the dialogue.
While the Life Esidimeni story is one of the worst human rights tragedies in South Africa, it is also a story of great courage and tenacity.
It shines a light on the tireless efforts of doctors, lawyers, human rights activists and organisations like Section27, South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) and the Life Esidimeni Family Committee.
These unsung heroes fought tirelessly to uncover the truth and seek justice. This story also demonstrates the power of people, to draw strength from one another, organise, fight back and hold government to account.
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A measure of justice has been achieved for this tragedy. Presided over by former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, families were awarded damages for the loss of their loved ones in the arbitration in 2021.
Earlier this month, Judge Mmonoa Teffo determined that former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and the then Mental Health Director Dr Makgabo Manamela can be held accountable for the deaths of some Life Esidimeni patients.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it is studying the Life Esidimeni inquest judgment before deciding on a way forward, which may include the prosecution of those responsible for the tragedy.
After an eight-year battle, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled that some of the deaths at Life Esidimeni were due to negligence on the part of the province’s former Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu.
The judgment followed a lengthy inquest into the deaths of 144 mentally ill patients in Gauteng between 2015 and 2016.
NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said they have taken note of the judgment.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Pretoria will study the judgment to determine whether the NPA will institute criminal prosecutions against the two individuals whom the court found can be held liable for the deaths,” said Mahanjana.
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